Kukla's Korner Hockey

The Kings, much like the Minnesota Wild before them, enter their series with the Blackhawks a different group than Chicago faced last spring. The Kings’ offense isn’t sputtering, a huge problem last postseason. They’re healthier through the forward ranks, anyway — at least to all outward appearances. And they’re riding a wave of momentum after two come-from-behind series triumphs.

So, no, this isn’t the same Kings team. And the Blackhawks are mindful of that.

“They're playing really well right now, so we’ve got to be focused on what they've been doing the last couple of series and the way they're playing,” Brent Seabrook said. “If we get up, we have to step on their throats. If we're down, we got to work like hell to get back. At the end of the day we have to focus on our game and focus on what we've been doing, get better at that and be the team that we can be.”

Brandon Saad said there’s no doubt the Kings have their threats.

“You could look back and it’s the same concept (as) with Minnesota: they’re playing really well right now,” said Saad. “They play that tight defensive game but they do have a lot of guys who can score goals. When they get rolling, as you saw last night, they can bury the puck.”